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Have you wondered how search engine optimization (SEO) experts meticulously research keywords for various sites under their care? Keyword research for a single site is strenuous enough; imagine doing it for tens or hundreds of sites simultaneously.

The trick is using keyword research tools to automate the process. These tools scan sites and automatically suggest relevant keywords to boost their rankings. They also recommend other ways to optimize sites for higher rankings.

I’ve created this guide to explore which SEO tools and techniques help SEO experts automate keyword research, how they do it, and why keyword research is central to search optimization.

The best keyword research tools

1. Semrush

(Image credit: SEMrush)

Semrush is the top choice for many SEO specialists. It’s an all-in-one platform for handling key SEO tasks, from keyword research to backlink monitoring, audits, advertising, and competitive analysis. I’ll focus on its keyword research features, as that’s the purpose of this guide.

With Semrush, you’ll gain access to one of the largest keyword databases (that keeps getting updated). You can pick any niche and audience location (city, country, or region), and Semrush will list the trending keywords based on your filters. If you have a keyword in mind, you can analyze its popularity and whether it suits your target audience.

Likewise, you can enter your website address, and Semrush will deeply analyze it to suggest relevant keywords. The same occurs for competitors’ websites– you can analyze them to see which keywords they rank high for, then incorporate these keywords into your site. Given these features, it’s easy to see why Semrush is a preferred tool for SEO specialists.

Semrush uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make keyword research even easier. For instance, you can use AI to analyze up to 100 keywords simultaneously, comparing their relevance on the same dashboard.

You can also analyze your site using AI to get relevant keyword suggestions. Semrush provides virtually everything you need for keyword research.

2. Ahrefs

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Ahrefs is another widely used SEO platform, offering features that range from keyword research to comprehensive SEO audits, competitive analytics, and social media management. Many SEO specialists use Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer to get relevant keyword ideas for their websites.

With Ahrefs, you’ll gain access to a vast database containing billions of keywords. You can type any keyword and analyze its relevance for your target audience, then cluster relevant keywords to make them easier to sift through.

For each keyword, you’ll see its ranking difficulty, search volumes, and traffic potential for your site. The keywords with the highest traffic potential are logically the ones to focus on.

I like Ahrefs’ competitive analysis feature, which allows you to enter a competitor’s website and analyze the keywords for which they rank. You can do this for multiple sites and get a good hint of their keyword research strategies, then combine the best parts from each one.

I also like Ahrefs’ use of AI to analyze the search intent behind each keyword. For example, the suggested intent for “black t-shirts” can be “Customizable black t-shirts to buy,” “Brand-specific black t-shirts,” and “Lightweight fitted black t-shirts.”

The intent tells you what people searching for the phrase “black t-shirts” are likely interested in, so you can create content that matches their exact needs. This feature helps you create the most targeted content to attract organic traffic.

3. Google Trends

(Image credit: Google Trends)

Google Trends is a free keyword research tool, whereas Semrush and Ahrefs require a paid subscription. It’s a free tool for discovering the top Google search queries for different locations. You can check trending search topics for specific cities and track the popularity of each keyword over time.

SEO specialists use Google Trends to track new keywords they can quickly adopt to boost website traffic. However, it doesn’t do much outside of listing trending keywords. There’s no competitive analysis, SEO audits, or other advanced features you’ll find in Semrush or Ahrefs.

4. Google Search Console (GSC)

(Image credit: Google Search Console)

Google Search Console (GSC) is another free tool that helps site owners with keyword research. It provides more advanced keyword research features than Google Trends, but from a unique angle.

Instead of discovering new keywords, Google Search Console helps you analyze which keywords your site already ranks for, and you can focus on these keywords to get more traffic.

Firstly, you’ll provide your web address and verify ownership by adding a unique meta tag, HTML file, or domain name record. After verification, GSC will begin analyzing your site and display the exact queries people made on Google before heading to your site.

You’ll see how many times your site appeared in a Google search page for each keyword, your average ranking for each, and the percentage of users who clicked on your link after searching for the keyword.

GSC also has a URL inspection tool that lets you analyze specific web pages to see which keywords they rank for.

SEO specialists use GSC to automate keyword analysis, with data delivered straight from Google, the most widely used search engine. Many platforms require a paid subscription to provide similar data, but GSC delivers it for free.

5. SpyFu

(Image credit: SpyFu)

Keyword planning isn’t complete without spying on the competition. You aren’t just seeking new keywords to rank for, but also seeking existing ones where you can outshine competitors. You want to know which keywords your main rivals rank for, then try to eat into their lead. SpyFu helps you do that.

On SpyFu, you can enter any competitor’s web address and analyze their keyword rankings. Think of it as using Google Search Console, but for analyzing your competitor’s website, not yours.

SpyFu will display which keywords generate the most traffic for your competitor’s website, and the site’s position for each keyword. You can also estimate your competitor’s search traffic.

SEO specialists use SpyFu to keep a watchful eye on competitors. Along with keywords, it tracks rivals’ backlinks, mentions, and advertising strategies.

Users can compare competitors’ metrics on a single intuitive dashboard or generate custom reports for each competitor.

SpyFu is a paid tool with three pricing plans: Basic, Pro + AI, and Team/Agency, priced at $39, $59, and $249 per month, respectively. SEO specialists often choose the Team/Agency plan because it offers unlimited search results, data exports, and live project tracking. It also stores 10+ years of historical SEO data, making it ideal for long-term use.

Why keyword research is essential for SEO specialists

1. It aligns website content with search intent

People seek valuable information via search engines, and delivering this information is what makes websites rank higher. For example, when someone searches for “What is AI, and how does it work?” on Google, the algorithm finds websites that have posted in-depth information on this topic.

But how do you discover which website topics will attract traffic to your website? That’s where keyword research comes in. Keyword research tools analyze search trends to discover which keyword phrases your audience frequently searches for.

Suppose you run a tech blog– your audience will likely be interested in the emergence of AI and search for “What is AI, and how does it work?” When you discover this search intent, you can create content that aligns with it, drawing traffic to your site.

It drives organic traffic

When someone searches Google and clicks on your website, it’s organic traffic obtained without direct payments, unlike ads, where you pay to promote content to your audience.

When you create a new site, paid traffic helps generate buzz in the early stages, but it’s not an effective long-term strategy. You’ll eventually have to generate organic traffic, or end up losing money, and keyword research helps you get there.

In the earlier example of people searching for “What is AI, and how does it work?”, you can post an article describing the inner workings of AI systems. Google will index this article and suggest it as a result for people searching about AI– think about the volume of organic traffic that will generate.

3. It provides a competitive edge

SEO specialists are hired to make websites rank above competitors, and some niches are intensely competitive, with many websites vying for a limited audience.

Extensive keyword research helps sites outrank rivals in competitive niches. It doesn’t stop– trends change rapidly, so SEO specialists must keep researching new keywords and creating matching content. A little pause provides enough gap for rivals to outflank your site.

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Stefan has always been a lover of tech. He graduated with an MSc in geological engineering but soon discovered he had a knack for writing instead. So he decided to combine his newfound and life-long passions to become a technology writer. As a freelance content writer, Stefan can break down complex technological topics, making them easily digestible for the lay audience.